About

£7,281

235

backers

Cat and Meringue have been sailing for 1000 days. If you've done anything for 1000 days you'll know how much of a REALLY long time it is. I know. I've been drawing this comic for 1000 days.

Cat and Meringue started life as a daily webcomic at www.catandmeringue.com but it quickly developed into something so much more. Because I drew them every single day they became characters that I got to know. Sitting down to draw them was more like chatting to two friends than creating a strip.

I say this in all honesty because after a while I didn’t really feel as though I was in control of them any more. They had become so well developed and past events were already setting in motion future ones that the comic was basically out of my hands… they had control.

Cat and Meringue quickly developed into a self-aware thing… and the two characters, REAL characters. It made sense that they would discover they were in a comic and then it gave me an opportunity to really get into what making a fictional world with fictional characters really is.

I started to direct the story in a very meta/existential sort of way, it was always silly and daft and funny, but it was also questioning what makes a reality, REAL. They grew and changed, time passed, they have a history and a future… what more is necessary to define a reality? Just because I DRAW them doesn’t mean they don’t exist… does it?

I’ll let you decide… or what I should say is, I’ll let Cat and Meringue tell you… because although I did draw everything in this book I feel about as responsible for what happens as the Sun might feel responsible for the development of mankind.

This is Cat and Meringue’s story and they deserve ALL the credit.

This Kickstarter campaign is all about bringing their epic 1000 day long adventure into one fantastic, hardback, luxury collected edition which you can enjoy on your coffee table or on the loo instead of having to rely on the internet. The £2000 I ask for will allow me to create the first print-run of this luxury (and therefore expensive!) book AND fulfill all the backer rewards... putting me in a position to kickstart hopefully a long life for the book at conventions and comic book stores all around the country and maybe abroad.

But no completed edition would be... well... COMPLETE! without loads of extra stuff as well. Stuff that isn't on catandmeringue.com where you can read all the strips... but the kind of stuff you could ONLY have in an epic book of this quality.

I'm talking about bonus illustrations, bonus strips, puzzles and games, fanarts by prominent UK smallpress illustrators, words from prominent UK comic writers and plenty more bonus words and pictures and ephemera from the world and mouths of Cat and Meringue themselves. They will guide you through this book and the book will have just as much life and personality as they do themselves.

They are much more than comic characters. They are truly alive and this book will be just as alive in your hands! In order to bring it to life Cat and Meringue have a huge range of fancy rewards to tempt you with from a thank you in a special illustrated Hall of Fame section in the book, through greetings cards, signed copies of the book itself, original strips, right up to luxury plushies of Cat and Meringue and bundles including some of my other comics! Check out the pictures below to see all the goodies!

the hardback book itself with the Cat and Meringue luxury plushies!

gooooodies! (pen not included... unless you want the pen... in which case... NO)

For UK backers the £25 pledge tier (for the book itself) includes postage. £25 may seem quite a lot to get your hands on the book but unfortunately Royal Mail will take almost half. This only leaves a small margin to actually raise the money to produce a print-run. It's tight but I've done the maths and it'll work out, thanks to your support.

This book represents a huge portion of my life and is a significant milestone in my achievements as a comicker and cartoonist. It is a huge thing that has my whole heart and soul in it and as such I am SO passionate about bringing it to life and having Cat and Meringue in a format they were always destined to be in. Webcomics are wonderful but there is something special about books... especially big luxury hardback ones. This one collects a whole journey, quite literally and its going to be beautiful.

But its not only me. While C&M was running online it grew a loyal and lovely fanbase around it that clung to the two characters like a real family and formed a real community. This book is mostly for them and for all of you who would like to join them and get to know an intrepid duo of adventurers who's sole purpose is to make you laugh and have fun.

Thank you so much for your support... Cat and Meringue salute you!

STRETCH GOALS!!

I can't believe all the amazing support you guys have already shown me and Cat and Meringue. I made my funding goal in 2 days and its still going strong! So here are some awesome bonus stretch goals to reward your legendary support. The more money I can raise means more copies I can get printed and a bigger reach for the book, SO LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS!

All of the unlocked stretch goal rewards will be included with every pledge from £25 upwards:

£3500 - UNLOCKED- BOOKMARK! Never lose your place in this epic tome again. Printed on quality 350gsm card and glossy it will be the king of all place-keeping-in-book devices!

£5000 - UNLOCKED - MAP PRINT CHARTING CAT AND MERINGUE'S ENTIRE 1000 DAY ADVENTURE! A beautiful A3 art print of the world of Cat and Meringue showing the crazy route the duo took on their mental adventure. FINALLY, a geographical reference we can trust.

NEW STRETCH GOAL £7000 - LOCKED- A SECOND BOOKMARK! If we reach this goal then the bookmarks will be themed, one will be Cat themed and one Meringue. Then you can keep TWO places in the one book!

£10000 -LOCKED - EPIC STICKER SET! A set of 3 awesome stickers featuring Cat, Meringue and the Catamaran, allowing you to construct... well, ONE awesome adventure stuck on the side of something!

£20000 - LOCKED - FULLY ILLUSTRATED CAT AND MERINGUE CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH ADVENTURE STORY! A separate small paperback in the style of the amazing Fighting Fantasy novels. Turn to page 25 if you go through the portcullis... etc.... except this one... WILL BE MENTAL.

Risks and challenges

The beauty of this project is that the comic is all drawn and complete. The challenge I now face is the production of an 'art object'. In order to qualify as a must-have collector's item, this book needs to be much more than just 'all the strips'.

This is a challenge I am tackling head-on and am MORE than qualified to succeed with. Firstly the creation of the book itself. I have already sourced a legendary UK-based printer and book binder who has created the proof you have seen in the images above. I have negotiated and sorted a finished quality for the book that takes it beyond the regular lo-fi nature of most smallpress books. This is high production value luxury bookmaking... and it looks excellent.

Secondly the book will be jam-packed with in-universe ephemera and bonus features that take beyond just a collected edition of strips and more into the realms of an essential Cat and Meringue companion.

I am committed to making this worth your support and worthy of your appreciation of the webcomic. More challenges await in the form of postage of heavy items and creation of the plushies but I can assure you I am focused and driven to get the rewards out to the promised deadlines.

It isn't cheap to produce a book of this quality and luxury which is why I am here asking for your help. Any support you can give will be massively gratefully received. This is a labour of love in every respect.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £5 or more
About $7

a digital copy of the ENTIRE book including all 1000 strips of the webcomic as well as all the bonuses, extra artwork, games and silliness. This will be a 250 page PDF document of EPIC RADNESS! previous reward included

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £25 or more
About $33

Your very own signed copy of the hardback 250 page tome that will be Cat and Meringue: 1000 Days of Adventure. This also includes a PDF copy AS WELL but i can't sign that cos my pen doesn't write in pixels. Your name will also be added to the Hall of Fame.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £110 or more
About $147

RETAILER'S REWARD - A pledge tier designed specifically for independant comics retailers. For £90 you will receive 7 copies of the hardback book, all signed. The perfect starting stock amount for your store! The extra £20 is the postage cost. This is available to UK retailers only.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £150 or more
About $201

NICHANGELL COMIX ULTIMATE BUNDLE - This includes the hardback collected edition of 1000 Days of Adventure, Both Cat and Meringue luxury plush toys, a copy of my full colour adventure graphic novel 7STRING and the spinoff crossover The Heavenly Chord Part 1, A hand-drawn original Cat and Meringue strip, 3 greetings cards, PDF copy of 1000 days and mention in the Hall of Fame! WOAH!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £150 or more
About $201

NICHANGELL COMIX ULTIMATE BUNDLE - This includes the hardback collected edition of 1000 Days of Adventure, Both Cat and Meringue luxury plush toys, a copy of my full colour adventure graphic novel 7STRING and the spinoff crossover The Heavenly Chord Part 1, A hand-drawn original Cat and Meringue strip, 3 greetings cards, PDF copy of 1000 days and mention in the Hall of Fame! WOAH!